International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8, and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has opted for the special day to launch TMC campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections, reports a party source.

On Friday, she was scheduled to take part in a rally convened by TMC’s women’s wing from Shraddhananda Park to Esplanade area in Kolkata, to celebrate the International Women’s Day.

A senior leader of TMC’s women’s wing claims that “although election dates are yet to be announced, our campaign for the Lok Sabha elections will begin on March 8. During the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and 2016 Assembly polls also, Mamata di had started her poll campaign on Women’s Day.”

The object of the rally is to create a “new India, United India and strong India”, reads the rally posters.

The TMC leader continued that “she (Mamata Banerjee) will give her message for the Lok Sabha polls. And after the dates are announced, a full-fledged campaign will begin.”

Several marches and rallies will take place in various parts of West Bengal to celebrate the day and start the election campaigns in the state, said the TMC sources.

CM Banerjee has been the prime mover of an anti-BJP front, on January 19 had organized a mega opposition meet in Kolkata, during which she gave a call to oust PM Modi-led NDA government.

TMC is vying to play a significant role in the formation of the next government at the centre, has the pledge to win all 42-seats in the Lok Sabha Elections from the state. In 2014 General Elections, TMC had secured 34-seats.

However, the state leadership of BJP has mocked at the decision of TMC to start its election campaign on International Women’s Day.

Bengal’s BJP Chief Dilip Ghosh said, “It’s an irony that TMC is kick-starting its poll campaign from March 8 when Bengal under TMC regime in last seven years has seen steep rise in atrocities against women.”

Meanwhile, women’s wing of BJP has also scheduled several rallies in West Bengal to celebrate the special day with women.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked world leaders and prominent personalities for their messages of congratulation after NDA government is ready to return to power for another term, claims Modi Government will work with the highest diligence to form a better India. In a series of Twitter post, he thanked world leaders, such as Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, and Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe....